| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, | 1Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, |
| 2in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, | 2in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. |
| 3but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; | 3In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior: |
| 4To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. | 4To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. |
| 5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— | 5The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: |
| 6if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. | 6one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. |
| 7For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, | 7For an overseer, as God's administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, |
| 8but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, | 8but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, |
| 9holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. | 9holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it. |
| 10For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, | 10For there are also many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from Judaism. |
| 11whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. | 11It is necessary to silence them; they overthrow whole households by teaching what they shouldn't in order to get money dishonestly. |
| 12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” | 12One of their very own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. |
| 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, | 13This testimony is true. So, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith |
| 14not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. | 14and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of men who reject the truth. |
| 15To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. | 15To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. |
| 16They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. | 16They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work. |
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